IzEnzo
22 “Madoda, bafowethu, bobaba, lalelani njengombana nginihlathululela okwenzekileko.” 2 Nabezwa ukuthi ukhuluma nabo ngesiHebheru, bathula ukudlula ekuthomeni, wathi: 3 “NgimJuda, ngabelethelwa eTarsusi yeSilisiya, ngafunda edorobheneli eenyaweni zakaGamaliyeli, ngafundiswa ngokuqinileko ngomThetho wabokhokho, begodu ngatjhisakalela uZimu njengombana nani noke ninjalo namhlanjesi. 4 Ngahlunguphaza abalandela iNdlela le ngababangela bona bafe, ngibopha begodu ngidlhunya amadoda nabafazi emajele, 5 njengombana umphristi ophakemeko nayo yoke ihlangano yabadala bangakufakazela. Ngafumana kibo neencwadi eziya kubafowethu beDamaseku begodu bengisendleleni yokuthatha labo egade balapho ngibase eJerusalema babotjhiwe bona bajeziswe.
6 “Kodwana njengombana ngiraga nekhambo ngitjhidela eDamaseku, pheze emini ekulu, kungakalindeleki kwameruza umkhanyo omkhulu uvela ezulwini wangibhoda, 7 ngawela phasi, ngezwa ilizwi lithi kimi: ‘Sawula, Sawula ungihlunguphazelani?’ 8 Ngaphendula ngathi: ‘Ungubani Kosi?’ Yathi kimi: ‘NginguJesu weNazaretha, loyo omhlunguphazako.’ 9 Amadoda egade anami awubona umkhanyo, kodwana khenge alizwe ilizwi laloyo ebekakhuluma nami. 10 Khonokho ngathi: ‘Kufuze ngenzeni Kosi?’ IKosi yathi kimi: ‘Sikima uye eDamaseku, lapho uzokutjelwa koke okufuze ukwenze.’ 11 Kodwana njengombana bengingaboni litho ngebanga lomkhanyo omkhulu, ngafika eDamaseku ngibanjwe ngesandla ngilabo ebebanami.
12 “Ngemva kwalokho indoda ekuthiwa ngu-Ananiyasi, indoda ezinikeleko ngokuya ngomThetho, ekhulunywa kuhle maJuda woke ahlala lapho, 13 yeza kimi. Yajama hlanu kwami yathi: ‘Sawula, mfowethu, bona godu!’ Khonokho ngavuleka amehlo ngayibona. 14 Yathi: ‘UZimu wabokhokho bethu ukukhethile bona wazi intandwakhe nokobana ubone olungileko begodu uzwe ilizwi lomlomakhe, 15 ngombana uzokuba ngufakazakhe ebantwini boke wezinto ozibonileko nozizwileko. 16 Alo-ke uriyadelani? Sikima, ubhajadiswe, uhlanze izono zakho ngokubiza ibizo lakhe.’
17 “Kodwana kuthe sele ngibuyele eJerusalema, ngithandaza ngethempelini, ngabona umbono, 18 ngabona iKosi ithi kimi: ‘Rhaba uphume msinyana eJerusalema, ngombana angekhe babamukele ubufakazi bakho obumalungana nami.’ 19 Ngathi kiyo: ‘Kosi, bona ngokwabo bazi kuhle ukuthi bengibopha begodu ngibetha labo abakholwa kuwe esinagogeni elinye nelinye; 20 nalokha iingazi zakaStefani ufakazakho ziphalaka, bengijame lapho ngivumelana nakho begodu ngigade izambatho zalabo ebebambulala.’ 21 Nanyana kunjalo yathi kimi: ‘Khamba, ngombana ngizokuthumela eentjhabeni ezikude khulu.’ ”
22 Bamlalela bewatjho ilizwelo. Nje-ke barhuwelela bathi: “Umuntu onje akasuswe ephasini, ngombana akakafanelwa kuphila!” 23 Njengombana bebarhuwelela, baphosa izambatho zabo yoke indawo, begodu baphosa ithuli emmoyeni, 24 induna yamabutho yayala ukuthi uPowula alethwe ekampeni yamasotja begodu aphenyisiswe ngokubethwa, bona izokwazi kuhle ukuthi kubayini bebarhuwelela ngokujamelene noPowula ngalendlela. 25 Kwathi sele bambhambalalisile bona bamrithe, uPowula wathi kumphathi wamabutho obekajame lapho: “Kuyavumelana nomthetho na ukubetha isakhamuzi seRoma singakalahlwa licala?” 26 Umphathi wamabutho nakezwa lokho, wakhamba wayokubikela induna yamabutho, wathi: “Unqophe ukwenzani? Phela indoda le sisakhamuzi seRoma.” 27 Yeke induna yamabutho yatjhinga kuye yathi: “Akhungitjele, usisakhamuzi seRoma na?” Wathi: “Iye.” 28 Induna yamabutho yathi: “Ngawathenga ngemali enengi khulu amalungelo wokuba sisakhamuzi.” UPowula wathi: “Mina-ke ngabelethelwa kiwo.”
29 Khonokho, amadoda ebekazomphenyisisa ngokumhlunguphaza atjhida kuye; induna yamabutho yasaba nayilemuka ukuthi usisakhamuzi seRoma begodu beyimbophe ngamaketani.
30 Nje-ke ngelanga elilandelako, njengombana bekafuna ukwazi ukuthi kuhlekuhle kubayini amaJuda ammangalela, wamtjhaphulula wayala bona kuhlangane abaphristi abakhulu neSanhedrini yoke. Wehlisa uPowula wamjamisa phakathi kwabo.